E.T.H.I.C. Training

Darnell Dinkins, Owner

What is a kid raised in Pittsburgh’s toughest inner city neighborhood who later found success as a football player doing in Cranberry Township? In the case of Darnell Dinkins – a former star quarterback at Schenley High School who went on to play for Pitt and eventually for a series of NFL teams, culminating in a Super Bowl win for the New Orleans Saints, it’s character training for young athletes before their college years.

At E.T.H.I.C. Training in Thomson Park Drive, Dinkins has packaged the physical, intellectual and emotional qualities that carried him from a destitute environment in one of Pittsburgh’s toughest neighborhoods to one of athletic acclaim and community respect. It is a path available to people of every background, but for most children to become truly successful athletes, they will need to overcome exceptional odds, according to Dinkins. “Kids need to go through adversity to learn real world life,” he said. “Strength is found in adversity. I prepare my kids to be active, so they don’t have to be reactive to life’s situations.”

Dinkins’ goal is to help every athlete – male or female – reach their full potential, both on the playing field and in the classroom. A significant part of the E.T.H.I.C. Training program involves sessions focused on physical fitness, speed, agility, strength and conditioning. But for athletes to succeed in all aspects of their lives, he places particular emphasis on mental toughness. “It took mental toughness for me to succeed, so I instill mental toughness in every athlete I train,” he said. “I want to give kids a game plan for life, not just a game plan for the field.”

Dinkins is well aware that life in the real world requires success in academics as well as athletics. So he stresses the importance of strong academic standards to bolster the athlete’s place in society once their athletic career is over.

Not surprisingly, E.T.H.I.C. Training is an acronym, in this case standing for Effort, Toughness, Heart, Intensity and Commitment. It is a formulation Dinkins attributes to his wife and partner Melyssa, who first suggested opening the business while on a car ride with Dinkins after a youth speaking engagement. Melyssa supports Dinkins at every step of this creation, and it’s something they bring home as well; as all four of their children (Kayla 16, Khalil 14, Kolin 12 & Jaylen 10) are being trained in the program.

E.T.H.I.C. Training is located at 700 Thomson Park Drive, Suite 701. Dinkins can be reached at 724-814-3488 or 412-713-4550.